ACT WorkKeys – Reading for
Information
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVgL4
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WorkKeys
Characteristics and Skills
 There are five levels of difficulty. Level 3 is the
least complex and Level 7 is the most complex.
 The levels build on each other, each
incorporating the skills assessed at the previous
levels.
 For example, at Level 5, individuals need the skills
from Levels 3, 4, and 5.
 Examples are included with each level
description.
Reading for Information
Students will have 33 Multiple Choice
Questions and 45 minutes to complete the
test.
They say timing is everything!
Timing …At a glance
 ACT Reading
 40 multiple choice questions (4 passages with 10
questions each) = 35 minutes
• That means about 9 minutes on each passage.
 ACT Reading for Information
 33 multiple choice questions = 45 minutes
That means about 1 and ½ minutes on each
question.
Getting Ready for the Big Game!
Just like playing a sport or an
instrument, students need
practice before game day.
Preparing a game plan!
Let’s take a look …
Work Keys Complex Text Elements by Level
Elements
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
Level 7
Length
Short
Somewhat
longer
Long
Details
Limited to
needed
information
More
detailed than
Level 3
Significantly
more
detailed,
broader
topics
More details,
denser
More
complex
concepts
Clear/Order
ly
All
information
clear: no
reading
between the
lines
Some details
implied: no
reading
between the
lines
No reading
between the
lines, more
complex,
somewhat
less orderly
Some
reading
between the
lines, less
logical order
More reading
between the
lines
Sentences
Simple, short
Some and
complex
sentences
Mixed (some
simple, some
complex)
Complex and
formal
Significantly
longer and
denser
Paragraphs
Short
Longer, more
complex
Significantly
longer and
denser
Let’s Try Level Five
Preparing for the WorkKeys Assessment
 Pages 33 – 36
 3 Questions – 6 Minutes
Debrief
 At your table discuss
the strategies you
used.
 How did you feel?
 How did you do?
Techniques & Tips for Reading
 Students must be able to:
Skim and scan
Find the main idea
Identify “key words and phrases” to answer detail
questions
Use context clues
Understand cause and effect
 Teach skills, rather than levels, and let students
apply the skills they have learned once they go
to the computer and work on the software.
Text in the Middle
Practice for WorkKeys – WIN Courseware
Outline of the Modules
(We have provided a sample of Level 4)
 Introduction, Informal Assessment, or Review
 Lessons (example Lesson 7)
 Summary
 Post-Test
Think about . . .
How might you use these tools
back in your classroom?
What activities might you try
with your students?
Questions?